Senate Resolution No. 443

BY: Senator WEBER

HONORING heart transplant recipient Roxanne Watson
for her ceaseless dedication as a champion and
advocate for organ donation upon the milestone of
personally adding over 13,000 names to the National
Organ Donor Registry by herself

WHEREAS, The unity of our State and Nation is built upon the
compassion of individuals such as Roxanne Watson who uphold the values
of community life and who, through their great actions, epitomize the
best of humanity; and

WHEREAS, This Legislative Body is justly proud to honor heart
transplant recipient Roxanne Watson for her ceaseless dedication as a
champion and advocate for organ donation upon the milestone of
personally adding over 13,000 names to the National Organ Donor Registry
by herself; and

WHEREAS, Since receiving a new heart in 2010, Roxanne Watson has
been on a mission to educate people about the life-saving value of organ
donation; and

WHEREAS, Through her tireless work with New York's Campaign 4 Life
and Donate Life NY, Roxanne Watson has personally signed up 13,000
potential donors, which is believed to be a world record; and

WHEREAS, Roxanne Watson's efforts have led Rockland County to the
top position in the state for the number of organ donor sign-ups; this
extraordinarily selfless woman was also selected as one of six winners
among more than 3,500 entries in a worldwide competition on
life-changing goals for her efforts to create a global organ donor
foundation; and

WHEREAS, In 2006, Roxanne Watson, then 51, suffered a heart attack
and was told she would need a transplant; her lifesaving operation took
place July 16, 2010, at Montefiore Medical Center; her donor,
23-year-old Michael Bovill, was a Coast Guard serviceman who was
returning to base on his motorcycle when he was struck by a truck on the
George Washington Bridge on July 11, 2010; and

WHEREAS, Michael Bovill, a true American hero who served his country
proudly and saved five lives, continues to serve as Roxanne Watson's
inspiration; she is steadfast in her determination to encourage as many
people as possible to sign a donor card, especially minority populations
who statistically need the most organs; and

WHEREAS, In 2016, Roxanne Watson won a Folio: Eddie Award for,"What
a Silent Heart Attack Sounds Like," an article published in the American
Heart Association's Heart Insight magazine; the following year she was
featured in a national television advertising campaign and the
home-improvement show, "George to the Rescue"; and

WHEREAS, Furthermore, in 2018, she was honored by the New York State
Senate as the Woman of Distinction; and


WHEREAS, A resident of Nanuet, New York, Roxanne Watson earned an
Associate of Arts degree in Liberal Arts: Humanities and Social Sciences
in 1987, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History from Columbia
University in 1989; and

WHEREAS, Rare indeed is the impressive dedication shown by an
individual for the benefit of others which Roxanne Watson has displayed
throughout her life; and

WHEREAS, It is the custom of this Legislative Body to pay just
homage to a woman of indomitable faith and dedication whose public
service and countless accomplishments will forever stand as a paradigm
and inspiration for others; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED, That this Legislative Body pause in its deliberations to
honor heart transplant recipient Roxanne Watson for her ceaseless
dedication as a champion and advocate for organ donation upon the
milestone of personally adding over 13,000 names to the National Organ
Donor Registry by herself; and be it further

RESOLVED, That a copy of this Resolution, suitably engrossed, be
transmitted to Roxanne Watson.